LOCKWOOD MANOR

Damon left the bar, scotch in hand as he wandered back into the Lockwood house looking to start some trouble.

"Caroline, you have to keep an eye on my neck; my vervain necklace fell off in the bathroom."

Damon smirked at the familiar voice, stopping in his tracks, and there was the trouble he was looking for. Standing at the side of the doorway, between the two rooms they all were in, Damon used his supernatural hearing to his advantage.

"How did it fall off?" Caroline asked, and Damon could hear both their heart rates increase at the thought Aella could be vulnerable.

Or so he thought.

"I just was fixing some hair that had tangled in it, and it just fell," Aella explained sadness in her voice. "The clasp is loose, and I don't have any pliers on me to fix it."

"Yeah, because everyone keeps pliers in their clutches," Caroline sarcastically replied.

"It's not funny, Caroline," Aella stressed, and Damon was almost in heaven to hear pixie witchy actually scared. "You know I can't ingest vervain, so this is my only defense."

"Do you want min-"

"-No!" She interrupted her best friend's suggestion. "I'd rather you be protected multiple ways, especially with our very own murderous Edward Cullen lurking about the mansion."

'Edward Cullen?' Damon mouthed to himself. Was she talking about him? No way he was Edward Cullen; he wasn't a pathetic sparking vampire that fell in love with a pathetic human. That would never be him!

"Just keep an eye on my neck and make sure it's never bare," Aella instructed her blonde best friend, and Caroline agreed.

Damon pushed himself off the door frame with a proud smirk on his face and walked back outside to the bar, gulping his scotch down in one go.

Looks like he would be hunting a Pixie Witch tonight.

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Aella and Caroline stood like statues for a minute as Aella closed her eyes, feeling Damon's presence moving further away. When she could not distinguish human from vampire, she opened her eyes and nodded at Caroline, "He's gone."

"Do you think he heard the whole thing?" Caroline whispered, not wanting to take any chances.

"Oh yeah," Aella nodded, pulling out the vial of vervain from her clutch and unscrewing the lid. "I could almost smell the smugness coming off him."

"You can do that?" Caroline questioned just as Aella raised the vial to her lips.

"No, Car," Aella chuckled as she swallowed the vervain, tasting nothing, and chasing it down with her soda Caroline had given her. She swirled the soda around her mouth, drinking the last bit, and gave the glass back to Caroline. "Okay, time to get back to my boyfriend and hope he doesn't suspect anything."

Caroline nodded, "And I'll be at the bar waiting for your signal."

"Great!"

Caroline frowned slightly, "I hope you know what you're doing, A."

Aella smiled, placing the vial back in her clutch, "Me too, Care. Me too."

Stepping back into the dancing room, Aella walked over to a visibly awkward dancing Elena and Stefan.

"Sorry that took so long," she apologized, watching with a raised brow as Elena took a considerable step back from Stefan. "The queue was huge- are you okay?"

"Yup!" Elena quickly nodded voice high as she stepped back even further. "I'm going to find Bonnie. Stefan? Thanks for the dance."

"You too Elena," He smiled tightly back and relaxed slightly as the doppelgänger walked away.

"Okayyyy, what was that about?" Aella's asked, stepping back into Stefan's waiting arms.

"Just Damon again," Stefan shrugged off, not wanting his evening to be spoiled by the mention of Katherine.

The two carried on dancing, close together at the slow songs, and letting Aella talk him into some questionable dance moves during faster songs. It entertained the party, and Stefan didn't stop smiling once.

After what seemed was their hundredth dance Aella stepped back from Stefan breathing heavily, "Okay, the human is tired, hot, and thirsty now."

Stefan laughed and nodded to the empty garden past the marquee, "Why don't you go and cool down in the garden, and I'll get us some drinks?"

"That'll be great!" She exclaimed and moved forward, pecking his lips.

"Ouch!" Stefan pulled back quickly at the pain on his lips, rubbing them clean from the obvious vervain. "Why do you have vervain on your lips?"

"I'm sorry," Aella sighed, freaking out inside. "I forgot my usual dose this morning, so put it in my clutch to drink when no one was around. I took it in the bathroom and completely forgot to wipe my lips. Forgive me?"

Stefan stared at her for a second; her heart was beating so fast he couldn't determine if it was because she was upset at hurting him, from dancing, or was lying to him. Kissing her head, Stefan nodded, hoping to forget those worries, "Coke or Water?"

"Water please," she nodded and walked off, winking at her blonde best friend as she passed the bar and allowed her necklace to gently fall off her neck as she stepped down the marble steps. Fully aware of the watchful eyes of her boyfriend's brother on her.

Damon picked up Aella's necklace with a smirk as he placed it in his pocket with another Bennett necklace; tonight was just his lucky night.

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Jeremy entered the Lockwood Mansion pulling at his grey tie, happy Jenna had the foresight to organize his suit just if he would turn up. Otherwise, he didn't think Mrs. Lockwood would have been happy with his own idea of jeans and a sweatshirt.

Looking around, he searched for anyone he knew; he wouldn't have even minded talking to Mayor Lockwood if it meant he wouldn't have to stand awkwardly in the entrance hall.

"Look around. What's missing?"

Jeremy turned at the sound of Mrs. Lockwood's shrill voice, obviously berating some poor idiot.

Well... he did say, anyone.

Walking towards the dining room, the shrill voice became louder, "The flames, the candles. Why aren't they lit? There are matches in the kitchen."

He was just about to enter the room when he saw his sister's best friend, also watching Mrs. Lockwood shout at the staff.

"Bitch!" He heard her mutter and hid his snort as he noticed Bonnie bend slightly down and stare at a candle.

He was just about to ask her what she was doing when she turned in frustration facing him, only to jump back in shock at his appearance. But Jeremy overlooked that; instead, his eyes were wide as they took in the brighter room.

Bonnie frowned her brow, wondering what he was staring at when she too noticed a flicker to her left and slowly turned not to see just one candle lit, but the whole room of candles lit.

"And here I was coming for free food," Jeremy muttered to himself.

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Damon stepped down into the gardens towards Aella; he glanced over his shoulder and saw Blondie chatting away to his brother. Who knew she would come in handy without even having to compel her.

The new bane of his existence was sat on one of the marble benches staring out onto the Lockwood property.

"You know when I originally lived here, the Lockwoods owned triple what they have today," he announced to her.

With a gasp, Aella quickly spun around to him with a hand on her chest to calm her beating heart. He could practically hear her blood calling out to him as he quickly scanned her body for jewelry that could hide any more vervain.

Very quickly, Aella's shock turned to distaste as she met Damon's gaze, "Oh, it's you."

Damon chuckled; she was entertaining, that was for sure. "Ouch, Pixie." He sat down next to her, ignoring how she slid further away from him on the bench. "If my heart was beating, it would stop at that frosty reception."

"Do you blame me?" She spat, looking back to the garden with a glare. "You're an arrogant, cunning, masochistic, sociopath, with an air for the dramatics. You're basically the Morgan Spurlock of vampires, a know it all who just had to take it way too far, and now McDonald's is the Antichrist of fast food!"

Damon raised an eyebrow at the brunette, "Is that supposed to make me upset? Because I have no clue who Morgan Spurlock is."

"It's a metaphor, Damon!" Aella growled, standing up from the bench and turning to him. "I liked McDonald's, McDonald's, and I was good friends for a few years. Then stupid Morgan Spurlock had to make that gross documentary that made even me never want to eat McDonald's again! I hate Morgan Spurlock!" Pointing her finger at him with a glare, "You are my new Morgan Spurlock!"

Damon slowly shook his head without a care in the world, "Still no idea, Pixie."

"Ugh!" Aella threw her hands up and walked away from the smirking vampire to another set of benches in the property. Only these benches were slightly hidden from the party, and said smirking vampire was following her with fangs awaiting.

"Hey, Pixie?" Damon asked as they reached the benches.

Aella turned with a frown and arms crossed, "What now, Damon?"

He stepped forward, and with eyes wide and hunger rising, he pulled her towards him, "It's time to be a quiet witchy and listen to everything I say."

Aella's arms fell from their crossed positions as her eyes glazed over, staring deep into his crystal blue eyes. "Now, kiss me."

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"Sooooooooo, Stefan," Caroline smiled nervously at the vampire. "Liking the party?"

"It's not bad," he shrugged, waiting for his and Aella's water.

"Right," Caroline nodded, eyes wide, as she thought of the number of parties he would have attended. "Bet this is nothing compared to the 1920s?"

With a slight smile, Stefan nodded, "Although the prohibition era did make it a unique time."

Happy, he was opening up, and the conversation wasn't sounding too forced. Caroline pushed on about one of her favorite eras. "Did you have your own moonshine recipe? Care to share?"

Opening his mouth to share some other moments, he stopped; he realized he was struggling to actually remember moments. "No moonshine recipe for me," he admitted, nodding when he was handed two glasses of water. "But I knew of a great bar called Gloria's; it was the place to be in the 20s."

"Wow," Caroline sighed happily. "It even sounds like a bar in the 20s."

Stefan laughed at her expression; this was the Caroline that Aella bragged about. Picking up the glasses, he looked to Caroline, "I better get this to Aella befor-"

"-wait!" Caroline took hold of his arm before he could leave, eyes wide and heart beating loud again, Stefan raised an eyebrow. "Tell me more of the 20s."

He drank some of his water and motioned to outside, a move that had Caroline squeak so quietly even he struggled to hear it, "Aella was pretty thirsty."

"Oh, she'll be fine," Caroline waved off, her heart skipping a beat at the lie.

But Stefan wasn't fooled.

Placing the waters on the side, he faced the blonde who gulped at his straight face, "Where's Aella, Caroline?"

"How would I know?" She squeaked a guilty sound that had Caroline closing her eyes in fear and Stefan's whole body tensing at the number of thoughts now running through his mind.

Taking a gentle hold of the blonde's arms, he asked her once more with a little more force to his tone, "Where is she, Caroline?"

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"Now, kiss me."

At the demand, Aella begged her body not to react. Everything within her wanted to scream at Damon, spit in his face, curl her face in horror at the command.

But she couldn't.

She had to remain as 'dazed' as she could, and to her horror, she began leaning in to kiss him, wishing she could look anywhere but the smirking face of her boyfriend's brother.

Just as her lips neared his, she smirked in his face, "Never in a million years!" And raised her hand to throw him into a marble statue in the garden, but Damon caught that hand and quickly grabbed her other hand, spinning her, so her back was to his front.

"You think you can play me, Pixie?" Damon smirked, seeing the horror appear on Aella's face at being caught. "You think I don't know when someone's faking being compelled?"

Looking around in fear, Aella opened her mouth to scream. However, Damon, quick with his speed, changed his hold on both her hands into one of his as his free one covered her plump lips and prevented the scream for help emerging.

"Now, we don't want to be interrupted now, do we, Pixie?" He sassed, pulling them further away from the party. His nose dragged down her tanned neck as his eyes turned at the smell of her alluring blood, "Let's see what happens when the hunter becomes the hunted." And he bit into her neck.

'STEFAN!'

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"Where is she, Caroline?"

Caroline looked around for a way out of this conversation, seeing no out she realized she would have to reveal the truth to Stefan.

"She thought he'd know what you were up to," Caroline explained, noticing a frown appearing on Stefan's face. "He's been desperate to get his revenge, and Aella thought he would be too distracted by this to notice anything else."

Stefan was confused at what the blonde was telling him, until he finally put the pieces together and reached into his pocket for the vervain, only to find it empty.

Taking hold of Caroline's once more, he pulled her towards him and growled, "Where is she?"

'STEFAN!'

Stefan fell into Caroline at the voice appearing in his head, only to realize the same had happened to Caroline as she held her head too.

At her best friend's scared voice, Caroline pointed to the garden as tears welled up in her eyes, "She's at the bottom of the garden."

Without a care to anyone else, Stefan ran through the tent and to the garden, running down the marble steps, sick to his stomach as he smelt fresh blood close.

He only hoped he could reach her in time.

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Bonnie stared at Jeremy, mouth wide open thinking of anything to explain to him what had just happened when-

'STEFAN!'

At her cousin's frightened tone, Bonnie pushed past Jeremy and ran outside, her gut telling her this was where she needed to be. When she saw Stefan already halfway down the garden and Caroline following him, she knew her gut was right and quickened her run.

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"Aghhhhhhhh!"

Damon fell to the floor in agony as Aella held her neck, breathing heavily as she watched him wither in pain, "How's it feel to be the one hunted now, Damon?"

"You bitch!" Damon wheezed from the floor as the vervain kicked in.

"Proud of it," Aella proudly smiled, feeling slightly sick as she felt the blood flowing from her wound.

"Aella!" Stefan blurred to her and held her face close to his.

"I'm okay," Aella nodded as tears gathered in her eyes, now seeing the pain in Stefan's.

"What were you thinking?!" Stefan demanded, pulling her face close to his. "I could have lost you because of him."

"I'm sorry," Aella cried at his pain and her own. "I couldn't have him hurt anyone else."

Stefan shook his head in desperation and instead pulled her close. He looked down at his brother's body just as Caroline and Bonnie rounded the corner. Yet, instead of seeing the vampire passed out on the floor, they both saw the blood pushing itself through Aella's fingers.

Caroline screamed at the sight and ran over to her best friend pulling her from Stefan's arms into her own as she used her purse to try and stop the bleeding on her neck.

"What happened?" Bonnie asked Stefan, stepping hesitantly around Damon to reach his brother.

Trying not to growl at the younger witch, Stefan gripped his hands together, ignoring the slight pain as his nails pierced his palms; it was that or screaming at his girlfriend how stupid she was. "Aella used herself as bait to take down Damon."

Bonnie rounded on him, "And you knew!?"

This time he did growl back, "Do you think I would have let her anywhere near him if I knew?"

Realized she had snapped too soon, she held her hands up to him, "Okay, I'm sorry. I've just never heard my cousin sound that scared, she was so scared."

"You heard her too?" Stefan asked.

Bonnie nodded, glancing over her shoulder as Caroline babied Aella, who was now a lot paler.

"She must have unknowingly contacted the people she knew she could trust with this," Stefan explained with a slight shrug.

"I need to take her inside to get cleaned up," Caroline told them both as Aella looked anywhere other than at Stefan's cold stare.

Stefan motioned to Damon, "I'll deal with this."

Caroline nodded and started walking off with Aella as Stefan turned away from Bonnie to kneel down to Damon. She was just about to follow Caroline to help when she noticed something shining near Damon's shoe. Squinting her eyes, she thought it may just be the glare of the moon on his shiny shoes until she saw a trace of silver too and realized it was a necklace. Quickly she reached down, picking up a chain from the floor and without thought hiding it in her pocket. Turning from Stefan, she followed her best friend and cousin, as a strange satisfaction came over her.